This invention relates to improvements in a washing machine outlet box and more particularly to a washing machine outlet box capable of being mounted to a wall in a variety of positions and also capable of adapting to several sizes of water inlet pipes and drain pipes.
Washing machine outlet boxes provide for neat, orderly and aesthetically pleasing methods of attaching the inlet hoses and the drain hose of a washing machine to the hot and cold water inlet pipes and to the sewer drain pipe. However, in addition to these functions, even more importantly, they also serve as a container to catch and dispose of any leakage water from the connections and taps between the hoses of the washing machine and the hot and cold water inlet pipes. Should any of these connections or taps leak, the leakage water can cause damage to both the adjacent wall surface and also the floor underneath the leaky connection or tap.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,781, issued Sept. 10, 1974, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference, I described a washing machine outlet box of the type having a water impervious plastic cabinet capable of being mounted within a wall between support members, i.e., wall studs. This washing machine outlet box had fixed tab-like brackets on its sides for mounting to the support members. Because these tabs were fixed, the washing machine outlet box was only capable of being mounted in one position relative to the surface of the wall. Depending upon the thickness of the material used for the wall surface, e.g., panels approximately 1/8 inch thick or plasterboard approximately 1/2 inch thick, the front opening of the washing machine outlet box may or may not fit flush with the surface of a wall. If said front opening did not fit flush it is considered that this is particularly disadvantageous in installations such as that of a washing machine in a kitchen where the finished appearance of the washing machine outlet box is important.
Further, my prior washing machine outlet box could only accommodate one size of pipe for the hot and cold water inlets. Commonly used as hot and cold water inlets are 1/2 inch copper and 1/2 inch galvanized pipe. Both of these have a 1/2 inch internal diameter; however, the external diameters of these pipes are different--that of the galvanized being larger than that of the copper. Because both copper and galvanized pipes are commonly in use for plumbing in structures wherein washing machine outlet boxes are used, it is considered disadvantageous to only have one size pipe inlet hole in the body of the washing machine outlet box. If only one hole is present it will, of necessity, have to be large enough to accommodate the outer dimensions of the galvanized pipe. Thus, if copper pipe is used there will be a space between the outside of the copper pipe and the surface of the hole through which the pipe traverses. This space must be sealed with a gasket or sealing compound in order to form a water tight seal between the pipe and the washing machine outlet box.
Because the washing machine outlet box of my prior patent had both fixed tab-like brackets and a fixed drain pipe extending from the surface of the cabinet, it was required that said washing machine outlet boxes be packaged and stored in large containers. Because of the additional costs involved in preparing larger boxes and the additional space required to store these larger boxes it is considered advantageous to provide a washing machine outlet box having brackets and drain pipes which can be stored within the interior of the washing machine outlet box during shipping but can be mounted on the outside surface of the washing machine outlet box when this box is installed.